The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-04-07


Mr.. EDITOR: In the Plain Dealer
of March oath, there is a" speciap |
dated, Washington, D c., Match -, |
headed, Debts of Ohio Farmers"
I wish you would find room for it in
your paper; and I would be glad to
say something about it in connection.
1t is more than thirty years ago that
I wrote substantially on the same sub.
ject, several articles in the old Sentinel
under the heading Sheriffs Sales
and Tax Sales" and Alphnnso deelar-
ed that they gave him his first serious
lessons on indirect or fraudulent tax.
alton ia other words, on the Tariff.
Since then I have filled some space in
several other papers on the same sub
ject. 1t seems to me now that it has
taken a long time to get recognition Of
h most important fact in our history.
Everything else has been uppermost
but the condition of the farmer, aud
his welfare. Useless spectators, pro,
fessional frauds, and deceptive beue-
! ticial desigus, have engrossed public
thought at the expense of the life OF
the people. How an old ferryboat
| could be converted into two hundred
millions ofgovernment bonds, exempt
from taxation, has absorbed the su-
preme attention of all our statesmen.
| How to knock the shack les of from
four millions of people, aud still keep
them on, aud put sixty million free
people into the same prison ships. and
do it all i'll the namo of liberty aud
equality, has been "A profound Ameri-
can study since 1850. How to eXtort
from agriculture taxes to build Agri
cultural Colleges, that farmers caunot
enter or look at, and how to build up
livings. and palaces. and fortunes, that
never feast the eyes of the toiler who
furnishes the wiihal to those who Ell
joy them, has been the business of this
boastful generation.
Jefferson and the fathers had hopes
but they will never be realized
Their principles survived them but q
short time. The few, who in theil
times, contended with them, ant
: claimed that it was useless to expec
much from the masses, and who, il
, their times, failed to secure much ap
proval, have at length, like the Devi
in Eden, sowed thorns and thistles il
. our political paradise. Modern wis
dom idoliZ Is millionaires-and pun
: ishes all others with poverty.
But word or two about the articl,
itself. 1 have not seen the Monthly
Bulletin of the Agricultural Depart
? nent ut Washington, How many far
mers have? 1t is said that the in, er
= esting discussion in it about the debt
: and mortgages of farmers is a nov
D city" This is very likely because
: probably, the most of those cOncerne,
in the publication of the reports ar
E not farmers at all, or if they were ever
J. made a poor living as such. Henc
their ignorance of the real condition
: of agriculture.
8 1t is not true, strictly, in Ohio. o
!. any other state, that indebtedness ha
o decreased in the last len years, III an,
t encouraging sense. is possible tha
q farms have been sold. surrerdered an
t forfeited, SO as to lessen the sum q
e Indebtedness. But this is doubtful
4 1t is true that less and less money LA
q been earned annually for some year
o among farmers. What is said in tn
last two or three sentences of the art
r Gle centradicts the idea of decreas
g in debts. But 1 am taking up to
It much room, and there is So much t
= say that have not the courage to pul
b sue it further at this time. -